Sports photographer (Sportfotograaf)
Information on this skill...
A sports photographer is a professional photographer who has specialized in sports photography. Sports photography can be called a special specialization, because making the right good sports photos in practice is not so easy. In many cases, sports photos revolve around action photos, which must be taken at the right time. Good sports photos can generally be sold well to interested parties, such as newspaper publishers or other types of publishers. As a sports photographer you can take pictures of different sports and in most cases you work as an independent entrepreneur. Sports photos are generally only interesting if they show a certain action moment, which gives the photo an added value. It is not the case that a sports photographer only takes photos of action moments, because a sports photographer can also take other photos that have to do with sports. Think, for example, of taking photos of the audience, or taking photos of trainers or other interesting people present. Becoming a professional sports photographer is generally only reserved for craftsmen who also have a passion for sports. Sports photographers generally use special photo cameras, which can work with a very short shutter speed, because taking fast photos is important for the sports photographer. As a sports photographer you can also work on assignment for an athlete or the sponsor of an athlete. This means that the sports photographer is hired to take sports photos of a certain athlete, which can be used for various purposes. Working for an athlete on commission usually means that photos can be taken in a controlled environment, such as in a photo studio. The big advantage of this is that the photographer can apply better lighting than, for example, along a football field.
A sports photographer is therefore a photographer who specializes in sports photography. Sports photography can also be classified as photojournalism. In that case, a sports photographer can also be regarded as a press photographer. As a sports photographer you can have to deal with different sports and it can happen that you work abroad. Some popular sports to photograph are football, tennis, hockey and cycling. A sports photographer can work for various organizations, such as newspapers and sports magazines. Most sports photographers have cameras with large lenses to be able to take the right picture just at that one moment when an athlete is in action. There are many sporting events worldwide where photographers are present to capture athletes. These photos are often sent to the client via the internet, so that the photos can be used quickly. It is very important for a sports photographer that he has a good position in relation to the athletes, in order to be able to take beautiful photos. The sports photographer will also take a lot of photos, so as not to miss that one important moment. A good photo does not have to be an action photo, because a photo of an athlete full of emotion is also very beautiful. A sports photographer often works as a self-employed person and takes the photos on commission or tries to sell his photos to interested parties.
WORKING AS A SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHER
A sports photographer can work in different ways. A sports photographer can take photos at his own discretion or work on behalf of an image editor. In addition, a sports photographer can take other photos as a press photographer. As described earlier, it is not the case that a sports photographer is solely responsible for taking action photos. A sports photographer can also work on behalf of an agent or player's agent. An agent or player's agent must be regarded as the manager of an athlete. In that case, in most cases it will be promotional work. Consider, for example, photos that are used as a supplement to a news article. Sports photographers can take pictures of all conceivable sports, which can be interesting for people. Think, for example, of equestrian sports, motorsport or motorsport.
WHAT DOES A SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHER DO:
TRAINING TO BECOME A SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHER
There are no specific training opportunities to work as a sports photographer. However, there are training opportunities for the profession of photographer at both MBO level and hbo level. At Mbo you can start with the photography employee training at level two, and then follow the MBO photography course at level four. The training to become a photographer through the Mbo school will usually take four years and prepares you as a photographer. If you want to learn even more afterwards, it is best to follow the private hbo education at the photo school. The direction of photographic design can be followed both in a two-year study and in a four-year study. During the programme you will also work and, depending on the chosen study, go to school one or two days a week for the theory. During the photographer training, attention is paid to the following subjects: portrait photography, lighting, editing, analog techniques, digital techniques, camera technique and creativity. But of course you also learn to work with the most famous photo programs to be able to edit your photos. As a photographer, the computer nowadays plays an important role within the profession. After your education, there are various specializations possible as a photographer that you can focus on, depending on your own wishes as a photographer. In addition, there are also plenty of external training institutes where you can follow a course. Accounting is also important as an entrepreneur.
COMPANIES WHERE A SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHER CAN WORK
In most cases, a sports photographer will have to be regarded as an entrepreneur who works as a freelancer for various clients. A sports photographer can also work for web editors, who use the sports photos for the website. Most photographers are no longer employed. In addition, a sports photographer can take sports photos at his own discretion with the aim of selling the sports photos to interested parties.
COMPETENCES SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHER
The most important competence of a sports photographer is the professional knowledge of sports photography. In addition, a sports photographer must have perseverance, because making good sports photos is difficult. Because a sports photographer often works as an entrepreneur, you will also have to have a commercial attitude. Communication is also generally important as an entrepreneur. Another important competence is energy, because you usually have to move a lot to be able to take the right picture. Generally important words are passion, creativity, inspiration, courage, planning, performance and stress resistance.
LABOUR MARKET PERSPECTIVE AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AS A SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHER
The job market perspective of a sports photographer does not really apply, because most sports photographers work as entrepreneurs. An entrepreneur will have to determine his own labour market perspective by winning sufficient assignments. As described earlier, the profession of photographer is almost no longer employed. The career opportunities of a sports photographer should be seen in building a good name, which will increase the number of assignments. There are actually no further career opportunities as a sports photographer.
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT AND SALARY SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHER
There are no specific employment conditions to indicate for the profession of sports photographer, because the employers will generally be too different. As an independent sports photographer, you naturally determine your own terms of employment. An employed sports photographer will usually earn between 2000 and 2800 euros gross per month, depending on his age, education, fame and responsibilities. An independently working sports photographer usually works on assignment for a fixed fee. A freelance photographer who independently takes sports photos will in most cases sell his photos individually to interested parties. The competition among sports photographers is fierce, which can make the chances of survival as a sports photographer difficult. It is therefore important to distinguish yourself from other sports photographers.
The content on this page has been automatically translated from the Dutch language. For this reason, texts and videos on this page may contain small errors.
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